The Stock market will close at 1:00 p.m. EST and the Bond markets will close at 2:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, December 24. Both the Stock and Bond markets will be closed on Friday, December 25 for the Christmas holiday.

Remember: Weak economic news normally causes money to flow out of Stocks and into Bonds, helping Bonds and home loan rates improve. In contrast, strong economic news normally has the opposite result. The chart below shows Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS), which are the type of Bond on which home loan rates are based.

When you see these Bond prices moving higher, it means home loan rates are improving—and when they are moving lower, home loan rates are getting worse.

To go one step further—a red “candle” means that MBS worsened during the day, while a green “candle” means MBS improved during the day. Depending on how dramatic the changes are on any given day, this can cause rate changes throughout the day, as well as on the rate sheets we start with each morning.

As you can see in the chart below, Bonds gained some traction following the release of the Fed’s Monetary Policy Statement.

Chart: Fannie Mae 3.5% Mortgage Bond (Friday December 18, 2015)

The Mortgage Market Guide View…

5 Expert Ways to Exit Conversations

As the holiday season winds down and the New Year is upon us, networking, training and social events will be plentiful. Opportunities to meet and converse with a variety of people abound. At some point in some of those conversations, you might need an excuse to leave. Whether your conversation stalls, you get bored or just need to keep moving around the room, here are five tips to help you exit a chat politely and professionally:

Prepare and follow an agenda when attending events, especially work-related mixers. Freshening up your drink or vague references to “circulating” aren’t polite excuses to leave a conversation. But if you must connect with a specific individual before you leave or you commit to meeting five new people—and say so—most people will understand and not take your exit personally.

Ask to be introduced to someone, or introduce your conversationalists to others with shared interests.

Enlist an exit buddy. If you’re attending with a friend, establish a signal beforehand to indicate when one of you needs help exiting a conversation.

Wrap up the conversation with a quick summary and expressed appreciation for the talk. This will reassure people you’ve been listening and value their time. Make the ending definite with a simple statement, such as, “It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

Suggest an ongoing relationship by requesting a business card or LinkedIn invite—unless you have no intention of seeing the person or following up.

One final note, keep your body language friendly well before you make your exit. Face your partner or the group, smile, nod and make frequent eye contact. Don’t fidget while you plan your exit.

Trying to force a halt by looking at your phone or ignoring the other person could lead you to offending someone who might be a valuable contact in the future. More sensitive people can perceive leaving a conversation as a rejection. So it’s good form to use an extra ounce of care when you make your exit.

Feel free to pass these pointers along to your team, clients and colleagues.

Sources: Wall Street Journal, Inc.com

Economic Calendar for the Week of December 21 – December 25

Date

ET

Economic Report

For

Estimate

Actual

Prior

Impact

Tue. December 22

08:30

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

Q3

NA

2.1%

Moderate

Tue. December 22

08:30

GDP Chain Deflator

Q3

NA

1.3%

Moderate

Tue. December 22

10:00

Existing Home Sales

Nov

NA

5.36M

Moderate

Wed. December 23

08:30

Personal Consumption Expenditures and Core PCE

Nov

NA

0.0%

HIGH

Wed. December 23

08:30

Personal Spending

Nov

NA

0.1%

Moderate

Wed. December 23

08:30

Personal Income

Nov

NA

0.4%

Moderate

Wed. December 23

08:30

Durable Goods Orders

Nov

NA

3.0%

Moderate

Wed. December 23

10:00

New Home Sales

Nov

NA

485K

Moderate

Wed. December 23

10:00

Consumer Sentiment Index (UoM)

Dec

NA

91.8

Moderate

Thu. December 24

08:30

Jobless Claims (Initial)

12/19

NA

NA

Moderate

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